Rocket sirens in Israeli communities false alarm – army

Rocket alert sirens that sounded on Thursday in Israeli communities near the border with the Gaza Strip were a false alarm, the Israeli military said.

“The IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) Iron Dome aerial defence system launched one interceptor following a false identification. No launches were identified from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory,” a military statement said.

Earlier, Israeli Army Radio had reported that the Israeli military was engaged in increased activity near the border with the Palestinian enclave. An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the report.

There have been no rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants in the Hamas Islamist-run Gaza Strip since Israel and Hamas agreed on a truce on Aug. 9 which ended the latest fighting in a series of brief cross-border flare-ups.

FILE PHOTO: Israeli bulldozers work on a position on the Israeli side of the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip May 15, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo